Pages

Friday, April 1, 2016

A Tale of Two Weekends!

About a month ago, Mr. and I were talking about taking a long drive to Texas for Antique Weekend in Roundtop. He had 5 days off, and I was able to get an extra vacation day, so I was starting to plan out the details. A little way into the planning, a little kink came into our plans...me having to work on Easter Sunday! I'm not complaining, it was my turn to work a Holiday, it just made our travel time a day shorter.

So, we decided to stay closer to home and maybe take a shorter trip to try out our new passports. Mr suggested Niagara Falls (on the Canadian side), and I got busy mapping out antique and thrift shops along the way there and back. Early in the week, I started feeling like maybe we shouldn't go that far from home. I had an uneasy feeling about being even 4-5 hours away from home.

The day before we were to leave, I got a selfie texted to me from my Dad. In the picture, he was wearing a hospital gown and had an IV in his hand. He didn't text any words. He just sent the picture. It was the middle of the day while I was at work, and immediately I became very worried. He's very healthy and very active, and we'd just seen him less than a week earlier and he was totally fine.

After texting him back and forth several times, asking several questions, to find out what was going on, I found out he was really in the hospital, but was being transferred to another one for observation, and that he needed blood because he had a "stomach bleed". It was a long process of texting back and forth just to get that much info from him. He's not that old (69) and very tech savy, but he's also the biggest social butterfly I've ever known in my life! When I was getting worried about how long it was taking to get answers, my oldest reminded me of the fact that I probably wasn't the only person he was texting at that time.

So, after a quick email to Mr at his work and a quick text to both of my parents, we were planning a trip north instead. Hoping to be helpful to both my parents while he was in the hospital or helpful in getting him back home and comfortable. Those plans were cancelled as well, when my mom told me to stay home. Someone from their church had dropped everything and was taking care of what they needed.

Feeling at a loss with nothing to do, and time on our hands, I talked Mr into a little roadtrip to the west. We stopped in Potterville at Joe's Gizzard City, an official stop of the show Diner's Drive Ins and Dives. It really was a dive, and the food was really good! Too bad it's so far away!!! I'd really like to go back and try other things on the menu. I ordered the pretzel bun burger and a side of onion rings. I'd go back and order that all over again, and again-YUM!!!

It was a rainy, windy long drive to our final destination, Grand Rapids. Ever since last year, I've been trying to figure out a way to get back there to scour through the antique shops. It turns out that they were a totally different story in my mind than they really were in person. I guess I was enamored by the newness of them the first time. The second visit was almost like the rose colored glasses had come off, and I wasn't as impressed.

I don't plan to visit those shops again for a very long time, if at all. There are enough places closer to me that are more my style, besides, garage sale season is just around the corner-who needs to pay mall prices when you can pay driveway prices!!!

I didn't end up buying a single thing after visiting several shops. It was nice to get away for a few hours, despite the rain and wind and cold weather. I was hoping to stop in Lake Odessa on the way home and visit those shops, but they are only open on W, Sa, and Su., so were were out of luck.

On Friday I made a quick trip to Livingston Antique Outlet for the start of their big Spring Sale. It was packed!! You could almost feel a buzz in the building, with all of the excited shoppers. I ran into my friend and treasure hunting buddy Auntie, she was checking out the sales as well. We took some time to sit down and catch up in the little cafe area.

I ran into several people that I know while I was there, and I really enjoyed all of the full booths, with clean items for sale, in great displays. I even found a great deal on a vintage tablecloth for less than $5!!

Saturday Auntie and I went to the spring open house at Williamston Antiques. We've gone to this more times than I can count. We started going when my youngest was a pre-teen, and he would tag along with us just to get the free food! They put out quite a spread for their customers on their open house days, and they usually have a 20% off discount too! I didn't find anything, but it was fun to wander and look at all of the full booths!

The rest of Saturday was spent making food for Easter dinner, and not much else since I had to work the front desk at the church I work at starting at 6:45am for the early, early service. We had a great time later in the day with my SIL, BIL and nephew. The weather turned out just perfect! We had a small group this year, only 6 of us. We did a little of just about everything in our short, but fun visit.

My next chance for treasure hunting came this morning. Mr and our youngest took off for my parent's house in the U.P. to pick up our kayak and some wood my dad has that he no longer wants. Mr is looking for more woodworking projects, so he's happy to get the wood. Since they are hauling things back, they took all the seats out of the van except the front, so I was told there wasn't any room for me to go.
\
I wasn't planning to go treasure hunting today, I had plans to go to Millington tomorrow to visit Antiques in the Village for "Dealer Day", a big sale day where all the dealers were going to be there and offering great deals. I decided to go today, thinking that if the big sale was tomorrow, they probably would have their booths stocked and ready today. I wasn't disappointed. The booths were loaded with all kinds of fun stuff. I just didn't find anything I couldn't live without. I was tempted by a few things, but since my wish list is getting so small, and my display space is pretty full, I had to leave them there for someone else.

Now I'm waiting for my oldest and his gf. They are coming over for dinner and to hang out with me for a while. I'm not sure if I will do anything tomorrow, or just enjoy the peace and quiet. While I was driving I picked up a local radio station that was advertising a giant indoor garage sale tomorrow, that I'm thinking about. If it wasn't 40 minutes away, I'd for sure be all over it, but the drive is making me think twice. If I go, I'll take you along through pictures!

Here are some of the things I saw and did during the past two weekends:


My little Easter basket helper. It was fun to make up a pink basket this year for my oldest's gf. I found some great character "eggs" at Target so they each got their own characters. We had Captain America, Spiderman, Darth Vader and Minions.


Signed poster on the wall!



Look at the ceiling!!! Pretty funky!

This was the best pretzel bun I've ever had-super soft and great flavor!! The burger was awesome too!!!

These were the BEST onion rings I've ever had! Fresh onions, hand battered, not frozen-YUMMM!
What a rainy, yucky day!!! We got soaked running from the car to the door.
Here are some pics of our treasure hunting adventures




I still have cabinet fever, in a bad way!
 










As I was hurrying in from the rain, to the right of the door was a pair of vintage mannequins dressed in vintage clothing and then straight ahead was this guy-I about jumped out of my skin when I looked up while I was entering!








 















I LOVE this booth!!! They had rearranged their display so when I entered the room the booth was in, it almost looked like the booth was gone...until I walked around the corner and saw all the pretties!





This was Friday at LAO...I think Auntie ended up buying this pennant.







This cabinet is still there...oh, how I wish...




Something I thought I'd never see at this mall, a basket of beanie babies for sale!

Just when I thought I was over my amethyst glass obsession...


Isn't Auntie's booth awesome!!!


She does great displays and she has really cool vintage treasures!!!

These next pics were from a little place down the road from LAO...

I need to dedicate a room in my house to be the cabinet room...where I can load in 5-10 cabinets!!!





These are a few pics from Williamston Antiques...

Be still my heart! I need the green carafe and I've always wanted a syrup!!! They were too pricey for my wallet, but it was fun to drool...I don't need another relish tray, but I'd take one if the price were right!




I was seriously drooling over this dresser!!! It was gorgeous-the picture doesn't even come close to doing it justice. As I was drooling a worker walked over and put the SOLD sign on it.

Wouldn't these glasses look awesome with my vintage playing card tablecloth!?!?


Pickle Casters!!! Another secret love of mine!






LOOK at this clock!!! I think Auntie ended up buying it-it still works!!!





I would LOVE to have this!!!


I took a picture of this for a coworker. He's looking for a NY license plate. He's trying to collect plates from all the states he's lived in. Apparently, when you move out of NY, they make you turn in your plates...so he's hoping to find something a little older maybe.




I used to be not a fan of Jadeite, now...I can't walk by without drooling!

What a fun display cabinet!!!


Easter bottle brush tree!!




I did find one thing that I had to look at several times because I couldn't believe my eyes! Vintage Fiesta mixing bowl...for $11!!! In an Antique Mall!!!


So, now it joins my other incredible deal bowl...and the start of another set begins!!

LOOK at these super easy, super fun and yummy candies! You use a waffle pretzel, a white candy melt, and M&M's. I bought butter pretzels by mistake, but that just added to the flavor-they were a BIG hit and were all gone before we went to bed on Easter Sunday.



Dyed deviled eggs...my guys eat them up, I don't think my in-laws knew what to make of them!

They looked great on scarlet fiesta!

Hot spinach artichoke dip! Better than any restaurant!!
Easter Table


 I had Mr drill holes in my plastic eggs and then stuck them on knitting needles!

Easter dinner-turkey on the grill!


Today's adventures!















My favorite booth in this mall...maybe my favorite in any mall right now. So much to see, great displays, LOVE it!!!






These looked to be handmade-they were very well done!














LOTS of Pyrex to choose from in Millington!! Tomorrow is Dealer Day at the Village---if you're a Michigan Pyrex collector, it might be worth a trip!









Vintage waitress uniform-zipper front!




Pink Daisy Pyrex at Mike's Antiques in Millington!!!  I left them for you-go get em!!


 


Another pickle caster!

It's been a lot of fun wandering, and hunting for treasures!! I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow...not quite feeling a 40 minute drive plus $3 admission...but part of me wonders if there might be the find of the year there! What would you do???

No comments:

Post a Comment